Improved machine for straightening railroad-bars



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIGE.,

SARAII DOWNING, OF GRAFTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS M. DOWNING, DEOEASED, ASSIGNOR TO ALPHEUS D. CASTEEL.

IMPROVED ltflACHlNEg. FL'OIR STRAIGHTENING RILROADBARS.

Specification forming part of Ietters Patent No. 85,917, dated January 19, 1859.

To all 'whom it may concern: l

Be it known that THOMAS M. DOWNING, deceased, formerly of Grafton, in the countyr of Taylor and State of West Virginia, did invent a certain Machine for Straightening Railroad- Bars, of which machine the following is a correct description, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part ot' this specification.

The said machine is provided with a series of vertical and horizontal rolls, formed to fit the head, base, and sides of the bars that are to be passed between them, and. arranged to act successively throughout theentire length of the said bars, the bearings or axes being adjustable to place the peripheries of the rolls at a greater or less distance asulnder, to suit rails of dierent sizes or different degrees of flexure. 't

To enable one skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to carry it into effect, I will proceed to describe it as applied to a machine for straightening T-rails, the necessary modifications to adapt it for any desired form of bars being within the knowledge of the skilled mechanic. if'

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the machine, certain parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with parts of the near side removed. Fig. 3 is a detached view, illustrating the action of a pair of rollers upon the head and base of a railway-rail.

A A A represent various parts ofthe bed and stationary frame of the machine. B B represent a pair of rolls, formed to lt the sides of a T-rail or other shape vof bar which it may be desired to straighten, driven by gearing C D E, and adjustable in. their proximity by set-screws F If, which hold down the bearings G of the upper roll, Phiin zthe customary manner.

The top roll has set-screws above the boxes to adjust the distance between the rolls. A sm all space is left luider the top? boxes, to be lled by packing, so that the bo'xes may be screwed hard down.

The straightening-rolls eonsistrof any suitable number ofl vertical rolls, lI side of the machine,

1 H2, on oner l to iit the flat base of the 'l removed by themore distant rollers II H1 I bar, a suitable number of vertical rolls, I Il, on the other side, to iit the head of the bar, and two series of horizontal rolls, J J1 and K Kl K2, arranged in two horizontal planes at a suiiicient vertical distance apart to permit the rail to pass between them and straighten it as it goes.

Some or all of these straightening-rolls II Hl I-P, I I1,.I J l, K K1 K2 are mounted to turn loosely upon shaft-s L, which may be turned at will upon eccentric-journals l, so as to set the rollers in or out, to suit the progress of the work or diiferent curvatures or crookedness in the rails to be straightened.

The turning of the eccentric-shafts may be effected by levers set on key-squares l', or other suitable means, and they may be secured iu any position in which they are set by pawls M, engaging with ratchet-wheels N.

It will be observed that the axes of the roll ers J1 and K2 are nearly in the same vertical plane, while the vertical planes of the axes of the preceding rollers K, J, and Kl are more widely separated. So, also, the rollers H2 and I1 are nearly in 011e plane, perpendicular to the motion of the rail in course oi' rolling, .l while the planes of the preceding rollers lI H1 I are more widely separated.

The rolls B B serve to draw the bars through the train of straightening-rollers, and to effectually remove any slight inequalities in the bars that the smallerI rolls may not have pressed out, so that the rail leaves the machine in perfectly straight and symmetrical shape.

The inode of operating this machine is as follows: All the shafts L are turned so as to open the rollers to allow the introduction of the straightest end of the bar into the rolls B B. The shafts are then, by levers or other means, turned back so as to close the rollers HHl H2, II,J J 1, KK1 K2 to their proper place, and secure them in position, in which they are held by pawls M, engaging with ratchet` wheels N.

The machine is started and the bars passed through the rolls. The bar is then turned end for end and passed through again, after which it will be perfectly straight.

The longer ends of the bars are et'ectually J K Kl, andthe smaller bends are then removed by thl nearer rollers Hl H Il J1 K2, and these carer rollers, acting in conjunction with the draw-rolls B B', also serve to take any twist out of the bar. Any inequalities or Very small bends or twists that should pass these sets' of rollers are effectually removed by the larger rolls B B. lf once or twice passing it through should not completely straighten the bar, the process can be repeated as often as necessary.

Havingthus described the invention of the said THOMAS M. DOWNING, the following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The improved machine for straightening railway bars, the several parts being constructed and arran ged'to operate substantially as herein described.

SARAH DOWNING, Admm'stmtw'm of the Estate of Thomas M. Downing, deceased.

Vitnesses J. V. BELL, O. KNIGHT. 

